The Concept of Zero Defects in Quality Management | Lean Six Sigma

Everyone at some point in time watched a calming video where things were done to perfection. In real life that is still a distant dream which many companies aspire to reach. With this in mind, the concept of Six Sigma was introduced. Saying this made so many lives so much easier would be an understatement. CEOs of major manufacturing units all around the world have taken it up and have given statements that it is the most viable and closest to a Zero Defect approach.

Zero Defect Is The Loch Ness Monster Of Modern Times:

Before we get into this argument let us first understand what Zero Defect actually means. This simply means that there is a 0.00034 percent chance of a defect be it in developmental or manufacturing development. Is it perfect? No. Is it the closest anything can ever get to perfection? That is an undebatable yes. For any complex manufacturing unit, this is a boon.

Money Matters:

One of the many reasons why this is such a fad is due to one of the ways it measures the quality. It does it in terms of financial terms. A lot of times though the product gets a lot of love in the market and the idea behind it is excellent, the companies don’t live to thrive. This is because of something called bleeding points. This could be the waste management that was overlooked or an under-productive process. This is literally the elimination process and is called so too. Not only does it enable better functionality but it also stops oversight. In layman terms, this is like removing a wedge that is stopping the gears from working smooth. By doing this, we save more than we spend, and most importantly, we do it right the first time.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure:

Zero Defects is a surprisingly simple concept compared to the things it has made possible. It changes your entire outlook toward the production industry. Usually, when a company adopts a new model, extensive training of every employee involved is an additional cost incurred. With the involvement of Six Sigma, you can limit the number of people who are trained in this. The rest can take up Zero Defect, which is a concept much easier to explain. This way, you can actually involve every single employee in fixing the problem with little to no training. Never underestimate the power of a strong team at work with everyone equipped with tools of the trade.

Why Six Sigma Actually Delivers Zero Defect:

As we discussed, Zero Defect is not actually “zero defects”. While we can talk about removing defects, it is an extremely high standard to approach. Six Sigma gives you the ability to deal with the problems as and when they arise. The distance between recognizing and realizing in any given manufacturing unit is filled with challenges. When you introduce a system by which you can measure each and every step of the way, the goals are brought closer. Once you look at the statistics, you will automatically arrive at a solution to fix it in theory. When you think about a more practical approach, you will find a solution to solve the issue more realistically. During this entire progress, a long term plan will jump right out at you. If this doesn’t give you a Zero Defect, what else can?